Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG) Stock Price Down 1.4% After Analyst Downgrade

Procter & Gamble Company (The) (NYSE:PG) shares traded down 1.4% during mid-day trading on Tuesday after Jefferies Financial Group lowered their price target on the stock from $179.00 to $175.00. Jefferies Financial Group currently has a buy rating on the stock. Procter & Gamble traded as low as $142.32 and last traded at $142.4790. 10,898,873 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 2% from the average session volume of 11,070,649 shares. The stock had previously closed at $144.49.

PG has been the subject of several other research reports. Piper Sandler cut their price target on shares of Procter & Gamble from $150.00 to $142.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 8th. Rothschild & Co Redburn boosted their price target on shares of Procter & Gamble from $155.00 to $157.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, January 23rd. TD Cowen cut their price target on shares of Procter & Gamble from $156.00 to $142.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 1st. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Procter & Gamble in a report on Friday, March 27th. Finally, Erste Group Bank lowered shares of Procter & Gamble from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 24th. Twelve equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $162.79.

Insider Buying and Selling at Procter & Gamble

In other news, Chairman Jon R. Moeller sold 162,232 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $162.45, for a total transaction of $26,354,588.40. Following the completion of the sale, the chairman owned 319,385 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $51,884,093.25. This represents a 33.68% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Ma. Fatima Francisco sold 5,549 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $165.29, for a total transaction of $917,194.21. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 1,029 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $170,083.41. The trade was a 84.36% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 348,618 shares of company stock valued at $55,462,643. 0.20% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Procter & Gamble News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Procter & Gamble this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Dividend support: PG was included in recent dividend-focused lists and has lifted payouts, reinforcing appeal to income investors and providing a steady demand floor for the stock. 3 Giant Dividend Stocks Raising Payouts With Yields Up to 4%
• Positive Sentiment: ESG initiative: Charmin/PG committed to planting additional trees with the Arbor Day Foundation, which can help brand strength and investor perception on sustainability. Charmin Forest Push Adds ESG Angle To Procter And Gamble Story
• Positive Sentiment: Investor sentiment pick-up: Commentators like Jim Cramer called PG “cheap” relative to history, which can attract value-focused buyers after the pullback. Jim Cramer on Procter & Gamble: “It’s as Cheap as I’ve Seen It in Years”
• Neutral Sentiment: Product refresh: Dreft rolled out simplified names and packaging updates—a marketing/product improvement that supports shelf clarity but is unlikely to move near-term results materially. Dreft Simplifies Laundry Care with New Packaging
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst target trims: Jefferies trimmed its price target to $175 (while keeping a buy rating), signaling slightly lower near-term upside after reassessing outlook. Jefferies Adjusts Price Target on Procter & Gamble to $175
• Negative Sentiment: JPMorgan cut its target to $162 (still Overweight), another analyst move that narrows perceived upside ahead of earnings. JPMorgan Cuts Procter & Gamble Target to $162
• Negative Sentiment: Earnings risk: Jefferies’ Q3 preview flags cost and geopolitical pressures; it models modest organic growth (~1.6%) and EPS around $1.56 — signs margins may be pressured and make the upcoming report a catalyst for volatility. Procter & Gamble cost pressures in focus for Q3 report
• Negative Sentiment: Growth sustainability questions: Analysts/coverage (e.g., Zacks) note PG’s EPS growth relies on pricing power and cost discipline, but near-term EPS momentum could slow — a watchpoint for investors expecting faster recovery. Procter & Gamble’s EPS Growth Story: Sustainable or Slowing Ahead?

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Procter & Gamble

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Procter & Gamble in the 3rd quarter valued at about $25,000. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. lifted its position in Procter & Gamble by 1,000.0% in the fourth quarter. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. now owns 165 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 150 shares during the last quarter. Park Square Financial Group LLC lifted its position in Procter & Gamble by 65.1% in the fourth quarter. Park Square Financial Group LLC now owns 180 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 71 shares during the last quarter. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. lifted its position in Procter & Gamble by 1,315.4% in the fourth quarter. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. now owns 184 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 171 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Litman Gregory Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Procter & Gamble in the fourth quarter valued at about $26,000. 65.77% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Procter & Gamble Price Performance

The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $151.54 and its 200 day simple moving average is $148.85. The company has a quick ratio of 0.51, a current ratio of 0.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49. The company has a market cap of $331.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.11, a PEG ratio of 5.66 and a beta of 0.41.

Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG) last posted its earnings results on Friday, January 23rd. The company reported $1.88 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.86 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $22.21 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $22.36 billion. Procter & Gamble had a net margin of 19.30% and a return on equity of 32.21%. Procter & Gamble’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.88 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Procter & Gamble Company will post 6.96 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Procter & Gamble Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 24th will be given a dividend of $1.0885 per share. This is a boost from Procter & Gamble’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.06. This represents a $4.35 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, April 24th. Procter & Gamble’s dividend payout ratio is currently 62.67%.

Procter & Gamble Company Profile

Procter & Gamble (NYSE: PG) is a multinational consumer goods company headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. Founded in 1837 by William Procter and James Gamble, P&G has grown into one of the world’s largest producers of branded consumer packaged goods. The company focuses on developing, manufacturing and marketing a broad portfolio of household and personal care products sold to consumers and retailers worldwide.

P&G’s product offering spans several core business categories, including Beauty, Grooming, Health Care, Fabric & Home Care, and Baby, Feminine & Family Care.